Girton, Cambridgeshire
Encyclopedia
Girton is a village
of about 1,600 households, and 4,500 people in Cambridgeshire
, England
. It lies about two miles to the northwest of Cambridge
, and is the home of Cambridge University
's Girton College
, a pioneer in women's education, which was moved there from a previous site in Hertfordshire
in 1872.
Listed as Grittune in around 1060 and Grittune in the Domesday Book
, the village's name is derived from the Old English grēot + tūn meaning "farmstead or village on gravelly ground", as the settlement was formed on a gravel ridge.
, the Roman road, and a cemetery with at least 225 burials between the second century A.D. and the early Anglo Saxon period was found near to Girton College in 1880. In addition, traces of agriculture from the late Bronze Age
and Roman
period were found to the north of the village in 1975. A selection of Saxon items are stored in the collection of Girton College.
since at least 1240. Part of the west tower contains stones that were probably part of an earlier 11th century church on the site, and there are parts of 13th century construction still in evidence, but the present building was largely rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The church was owned by Ramsey Abbey
from the 12th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
A baptist church was built in the village in 1860.
Designed by Denis Cheason and made by Barry Sharman, the design is formed from a number of separate images. The top part of design is based on a Roman belt discovered in a burial ground near Girton College. The centre is derived from the family coat of arms of Anne-Maria Cotton, who endowed the first Girton village school, together with geese, kept at Washpit, that provided quills for use in the University of Cambridge
. The flowers near the village's name are corn marigolds which were once common in the village, and at the base is the cross of Saint Andrew
to whom the parish church is dedicated.
The village is also home to a rare variant of the grey squirrel
— the black squirrel
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of about 1,600 households, and 4,500 people in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies about two miles to the northwest of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, and is the home of Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
's Girton College
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
, a pioneer in women's education, which was moved there from a previous site in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in 1872.
Listed as Grittune in around 1060 and Grittune in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, the village's name is derived from the Old English grēot + tūn meaning "farmstead or village on gravelly ground", as the settlement was formed on a gravel ridge.
History
Girton has a long history, and has been home to a poor settlement for thousands of years. The parish lies on the Via DevanaVia Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
, the Roman road, and a cemetery with at least 225 burials between the second century A.D. and the early Anglo Saxon period was found near to Girton College in 1880. In addition, traces of agriculture from the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
period were found to the north of the village in 1975. A selection of Saxon items are stored in the collection of Girton College.
Church
The parish church has been dedicated to Saint AndrewSaint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
since at least 1240. Part of the west tower contains stones that were probably part of an earlier 11th century church on the site, and there are parts of 13th century construction still in evidence, but the present building was largely rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The church was owned by Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey
Ramsey Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey located in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England, southeast of Peterborough and north of Huntingdon, UK.-History:...
from the 12th century until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
A baptist church was built in the village in 1860.
Village sign
The current village sign, situated on the corner of Redgate Road and Cambridge Road was erected in 1985 after a fund-raising campaign.Designed by Denis Cheason and made by Barry Sharman, the design is formed from a number of separate images. The top part of design is based on a Roman belt discovered in a burial ground near Girton College. The centre is derived from the family coat of arms of Anne-Maria Cotton, who endowed the first Girton village school, together with geese, kept at Washpit, that provided quills for use in the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. The flowers near the village's name are corn marigolds which were once common in the village, and at the base is the cross of Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
to whom the parish church is dedicated.
Village life
Girton is home to three public houses; the Old Crown opened in around 1840, The George (formerly the George and Dragon) was opened by a blacksmith in the 1850s, and The Traveller's Rest is a modern addition on Huntingdon Road on the outskirts of Cambridge. The village's first pub, the White Horse was opened in around 1760 but closed in the late 20th century.The village is also home to a rare variant of the grey squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
— the black squirrel
Black squirrel
The black squirrel is a melanistic subgroup of the Eastern Grey Squirrel. They are common in the Midwestern United States, Ontario, Quebec, and in parts of the Northeastern United States and Britain.-Habitat:...
.